Today’s Scrip-Bit 25 July 2009 Psalm 93:1‏

25 Jul 2009 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

Psalm 93:1    The Lord reigneth, he is clothed with majesty; the Lord is clothed with strength, wherewith he hath girded himself: the world also is established, that it cannot be moved.
 
Oh Friends, what an awesome and amazing God we worship! I know this, but His acts still amaze me. He gave my roofing buddies and I another bligh today. It was supposed to rain, and they arrived at 8 a.m. and worked till 4 p.m. with nary a drop of rain falling and the sun shining brightly. This time though, just as they were finished, before they even left, the heavens opened and a thunderstorm ensued with lightning and all the other accessories. However, half an hour later, the air was sparkling clean and the sun was back out again. The Lord had made His statement. As usual, I chuckled and gave thanks with my buddy telling me to put the unlikely, unusual occurrence in the Bit again. So here it is. Ah mih people, when I sit and contemplate our God, He just seems too wonderful to behold, to be true: His perfect timing, His sense of humour and drama; the way He plans, both short and long term and ties up seemingly ‘untieable’ things together. He’s so unpredictable, yet predictable and always keeps us on our toes. But He is true Friends! He is for real and there’s lots of evidence to prove it. The scholars claim that Psalm 93 is the second psalm of the divine kingdom, (Ps.47, 93, 96-99) and talks about the future time when God will rule on the earth in the person of the Messiah. Well the Messiah has come, and He is ruling the world. But I maintain that the psalmist couldn’t have spoken with such emphatic assurance; ‘The Lord reigneth, he is clothed with majesty; the Lord is clothed with strength, wherewith he hath girded himself: the world also is established, that it cannot be moved:’ unless he too had seen and experienced the Lord at work; had experienced His awesome power and been encompassed by His LOVING kindness, righteousness and mercy. In Psalm 96 His majesty and strength are again glorified: ‘Declare his glory among the heathen, his wonders among all people. For the Lord is great, and greatly to be praised: he is to be feared above all gods. For all the gods of the nations are idols: but the Lord made the heavens. Honour and majesty are before him; strength and beauty are in his sanctuary…Say among the heathen that the Lord reigneth: the world also shall be established that it shall not be moved: he shall judge the people righteously.’ (Ps.96:3-6,10) Yes Friends, our ancestors could not have made such bold statements without having experienced some of the Lord’s anointing first hand. And though we also have experienced some of that old time faith, that majesty and power plus have Jesus and all His benefits, which they lacked, yet many of us still refuse to believe. Why? What more can the Lord do to convince us that He’s the One and Only; the mighty Creator and Sovereign of the heavens, earth and all they contain? ‘By terrible (awesome) things in righteousness wilt thou answer us, O God of our salvation; who art the confidence of all ends of the earth, and of them that are afar off upon the sea. Which by his strength setteth fast the mountains; being girded with power. Which stilleth the noise of the seas, the noise of the waves, and the tumult of the people. ‘(Ps.65:5-7) Oh Friends, our God is mighty in all areas of life, as we can see from the numerous accolades bestowed on Him. But He’s also been with us from the beginning, and will be till the end. ‘Thy throne is established of old: thou art from everlasting.’ (Ps.93:2) So what else do we need to be convinced of His omnipotence, omniscience and immortality? He showed His extreme LOVE for us by sacrificing His only Son Jesus on our behalf. Then He pardoned our sins, washed us white as snow and LOVES us unconditionally, and though we’ll pay for our wrong doing because He’s a God of justice, nothing we can ever say or do will ever negate His LOVE. Through Jesus, He’s given us salvation and eternal life, and promises to always look after us if we’re obedient to His will. Basically all He asks of us is to be obedient and to Love Him. Friends, no other supposed deity can top that. Remember Lucifer is no deity; he’s just a fallen angel who knows the awesome power and LOVE of the Lord, but through his evil spirit tries to thwart our good intentions. So the evil one himself has nothing to offer except a dark, dismal place in Hades where death and damnation rule. My people, the Lord doesn’t want to lose any of His children to Lucifer. But with our rebellious nature we wanted freedom of choice and He gave it to us. Now we have to choose between Beelzebub and Almighty God. So who yuh going to serve eh? As the song says; ‘Yuh got to serve somebody. Everybody got to serve somebody.’ Oh my people, I’m imploring us to serve the Most High God Jehovah; the God of our fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob; the One and Only True God, who made the heavens, the earth, the seas and all therein. Satan is just a spoiler; angry, spiteful and full of resentment because he was unceremoniously kicked out of heaven for disobedience and disloyalty, which he now tries to get us to follow. But Friends it’s all deception and lies. And if religion is not your thing, you’re more cerebral, into the philosophical aspect of living life, then there again Jesus wins hands down, because He has the best philosophy on life. How can you ever beat simple belief, trust and faith in Him with obedience, that brings LOVE, forgiveness, a helping hand, someone to bear your burdens, listen to your cares and drive away your fears with the solid promise of salvation and eternal life? Friends, it’s unbeatable! So mih people, however you consider it, Jesus is the best answer, the only sensible answer, the best solution to the problems of life, both now and in the hereafter. Let’s therefore turn to Him; worship and glorify Him, that unselfish, innocent martyr, who died to redeem our sinful souls. Anything else is useless. Much LOVE!…Jesus is the way…the one and only way…
 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 24 July 2009 Isaiah 2:3‏

24 Jul 2009 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

Isaiah 2:3     And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.
 
Sing the greeting Friends: ‘Morning Neighbour, Morning!’ Now recite the mantra: ‘Our bounden duty is to sincerely LOVE our God, and LIVE our Faith! That’s why we’ll all rejoice and be glad in this beautiful day our Lord has made. Praise His Holy Name! Amen!’ Yes my people, it is good to be neighbourly, LOVING and offer praise. That’s how Isaiah saw it in the day of the Lord. Everybody would be singing and praising and enthusiastically saying; ‘Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths.’ Jeremiah prophesied likewise, re Babylon’s destruction: ‘In those days, and in that time, saith the Lord, the children of Israel shall come, they and the children of Judah together, going and weeping: they shall go, and seek the Lord their God. They shall ask the way to Zion with their faces thitherward, saying, Come and let us join ourselves to the Lord in a perpetual covenant that shall not be forgotten.’ (Jer.50:4-5) Oh my Friends, I’m here to tell you that the Lord’s day is not sometime in the future, but right here and now! As we said earlier, He made it, which means everyday we open our eyes; it’s the Lord’s Day. And per Jeremiah and Isaiah’s prophecies, the great empire of olden Babylon was eventually destroyed, and so will the new one rising from this new world order of greed, violence and evil. And if we want to avoid being destroyed by the wickedness emanating out of a Babylon, ruled by Lucifer and his henchmen, then we’ve got to come together now people. Come together and sincerely seek our God, and let Him teach us His ways, so that we can walk obediently in His paths; paths that are of true righteousness. We certainly don’t want to be numbered amongst   Lucifer’s lot when the Lord rains judgement upon Babylon, which is in evitable. It only depends on God’s timetable. As Jeremiah bemoaned way back then: ‘My people hath been lost sheep: their shepherds have caused them to go astray, they have turned them away on the mountains: they have gone from the mountain to the hill, they have forgotten their resting place.’ (Jer.50:6) And my people, that’s exactly what’s happened to us in this generation: we’re lost. We’ve been led astray by evil, ungodly rulers and leaders who were supposed to lead us on the straight and narrow pathways of our God, but who instead zig zagged us from one wide pathway of destruction to another, so that now we don’t know who we are, or whether we’re coming or going. But I’m here to remind us Friends that we’re the children of the Most High God Jehovah, bought and paid for by the precious, holy and innocent life and blood of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! That’s who we are! And don’t let anyone tell us differently! But if we’re the children of the Most High, then we ought to live and behave as such; living in LOVE, peace, harmony, righteousness and kindness with each other. We certainly can’t afford to have these words of Jeremiah spoken against us. ‘All that found them have devoured them: and their adversaries said, We offend not, because they have sinned against the Lord, the habitation of justice, even the Lord, the hope of their fathers.’ (Jer.50:7)  Oh mih people, yuh see how the devil and his buddies smart; using our sinful nature and behaviour as an excuse to oppress, suppress and eventually annihilate us? Now the only way to prevent that and be seen as true children of God is to clean up our act, behave like godly children and cut out the petty, senseless fussing and fighting amongst us. A good example of that nonsense which destroys Christ’s Church is the recent resignation of former U.S President Jimmy Carter from the Southern Baptist Convention, because in this enlightened day and age, they’re using convenient scripture to keep women from officiating in the Church. Ah Lord eh! The enemy’s successfully using those petty things in the age-old strategy to divide and conquer. And sadly, we’re either not smart enough, or too selfish and egotistical to realize it. Bruh Paul would be livid if he saw how divisive the Church is today, cause that was one of the things he fought so hard against, knowing that the Church could only grow and prosper under a unified approach. Unfortunately though, the word unity doesn’t seem to exist amongst those who consider themselves God’s children. As I keep saying, and as someone also mentioned to me recently, the Christian’s biggest problem, our biggest drawback, is the great difference between what we say and what we do: the wide contrast between the LOVE and togetherness we spout, and the frenzied life of bitterness, anger, greed, jealousy, unforgiveness and resentment we actually live. How can we expect to be taken seriously and win lost souls for Christ if our words and behaviour aren’t consistent with each other eh? That’s why so often when we talk about Christianity, so many people just steups and walk away, because the picture we’ve portrayed in our daily walk is one of a bloody hypocrite, just like the scribes and Pharisees that Jesus decried in His time. Oh Friends, I’m no prophet, so I can’t predict the future. I’m just a simple believer trying to learn from history, or as the old folks would say, trying to pick sense from nonsense, but I can assure us that if we Christians don’t clean up our act, put our house in order, start letting our daily lives better reflect the Word of God we speak, then Christianity is in for a sad time. We’ll all go down with Babylon if we continue in our ungodly, evil ways. Now my people, the only way to stave off that unwelcome destruction is by doing as the old prophets said: Let us return to the Lord so that He can teach us His ways, so we can walk in obedience to Him. We don’t need a new covenant cause we already have one through Jesus, but we need to respect it and live by it. Where ‘the inhabitants of one city shall go to another, saying, Let us go speedily to pray before the Lord, and to seek the Lord of hosts: I will go also.’ (Zech.8:21) Yes my Friends, the only way to avoid eventual damnation, death and destruction is by unifying and seeking the Lord together. For remember, this is the day the Lord has made, so let’s come together, put on our holy armour, fight the good fight and rejoice in victory with Jesus! Much LOVE!… only by walking our talk…like Jesus did…can we make a worthwhile difference…
 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 23 July 2009 John 19:11‏

23 Jul 2009 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

John 19:11     Jesus answered, Thou couldest have no power at all against me, except it were given thee from above: therefore he that delivered me unto thee hath the greater sin.
 
Oh Friends, whoever says that the Lord doesn’t move in mysterious ways or work miracles still, or actively helps His people, tell them I say deh lie! Why? Because He worked His magic on my behalf today. Remember I said in the Bit that it was forecasted to be another cloudy, rainy day, so with that in mind I never expected to see the guys who were scheduled to replace the shingles on my roof today. But lo and behold, they arrived around 10 a.m. I told the boss, my friend, and an avid Bit reader, what I thought of his coming to do roofing in that kind of weather. (smile) But as usual he ignored me and claimed that it was perfect roofing weather, and they would do as much as they could until the rain began. Now note Friends, all around us the sky was grey, undoubtedly intending to water the land sometime soon. But let me tell you people, not one, single, solitary drop of water fell from the sky until shortly after they left at 8 p.m. The sun was even out for a couple of hours in the afternoon. But about ten minutes after they left and I came out to go and do some shopping for my mother, a steady drizzle began, which later turned into a downpour. Now if that wasn’t the hand of God, I don’t know what is! I chuckled as I came out and found it drizzling, but also remembered to offer a heartfelt thank you, for it seems I’ve now entered a cycle of blessing; good things are finally happening, replacing the earlier cycle of misfortune. Ah mih Friends, it’s like when Jesus refused to answer Pilate, and the guv boasted: ”Speakest thou not unto me? knowest thou not that I have power to crucify thee, and have power to release thee. (John 19:10) But Jesus had much manly parts and bravely informed Pilate. ‘Thou couldest have no power at all against me, except it were given thee from above.’ And that’s gospel mih people! No one has any earthly power unless our Heavenly Father grants it. The Lord God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob is the Sovereign ruler of the universe, and to Him alone belongs the ultimate power to give or take, to let live or let die. John the Baptist said the same thing when His disciples complained how Jesus was running such a successful ministry. ‘A man can receive nothing, except it be given him from heaven.’ (John 3:27) And Bruh Paul later confirms it: ‘Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God.’ (Rom.13:1) Matter closed mih breddren! The scholars though point out an interesting similarity between Jesus’ answer to Pilate and the one He gave Satan on the third exchange of His temptations, re worshipping him. ‘Get thee hence Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and only him shalt thou serve. The devil leaveth him, and behold angels came and ministered unto him.’ (Mat.4:10-11) It worked the same way with Pilate. ‘And from thenceforth Pilate sought to release him.’ He recognized His innocence. ‘But the Jews cried out saying, If thou let this man go, thou art not Caesar’s friend: whosoever maketh himself a king speaketh against Caesar.’ (John 19:12) Yes Friends, they wanted Jesus out of the way so badly, they were willing to stoop to overt blackmail against Pilate. The scholars also bring up another interesting point, for later on when Pilate asks; ‘Shall I crucify your King? The chief priests answered, We have no king but Caesar.’ (John 19:15) Now these were of the Sadducees sect, the politicians. The scholars wonder if the Pharisees would have made the same blasphemous statement, when their only king was supposed to be the Lord God Jehovah?  It’s rather ironic Friends, for Jesus knew how the whole drama would be played out, but His accusers foolishly felt they were one-upping Him. When He preached in the temple, declaring His God-like status He raised their wrath. ‘Then they sought to take him; but no man laid hands on him, because his hour was not yet come. And many of the people believed on him, and said, when Christ cometh, will he do more miracles than these which this man hath done?’ (John 7:30-31)  So God’s timing, plus their fear of the people causing a disturbance, stayed their hand. And as Jesus told them when they came under cover of darkness to take Him in the Garden of Gethsemane; ‘Be ye come out, as against a thief, with swords and staves. When I was daily with you in the temple, ye stretched forth no hands against me: but this is your hour, and the power of darkness.’ (Luke 22:52-53) Little did they know that everything was then coming to a head; the way God planned it, and that was the only reason Jesus went willingly with them. ‘Now is my soul troubled; and what shall I say? Father, save me from this hour: but for this cause came I unto this hour.’ (John 12:27) Yes Friends, that was Jesus’ sole purpose on this earth; to be offered up as a living, innocent, holy sacrifice on our sinful behalf, so though His spirit was tormented and afraid, He couldn’t walk away from His stated role. That’s why He could say to Pilate; ‘therefore he that delivered me unto thee hath the greater sin.’ Pilate was just a pawn in the game, being led by the angry, bloodthirsty Jewish rulers and the vociferous crowd they stirred up. And though the sin of knowingly persecuting an innocent man, railroading him to his death, could be laid on the Jewish elite who pushed for it, Jesus knew better than that. He knew that no one was taking His life from Him, but that He was giving it as a freewill offering, as part of His Father’s everloving plan to bring us back into right status with Him. And such was His magnanimity, that some of His last words in human form were; ‘Father forgive them; for they know not what they do.’ (Luke23:34) Yes my Friends, that’s the wonder, the power, the forgiveness and the LOVE that Jesus displayed during His short sojourn on earth. Now we’ll never be as perfect as Him, but it’s our bounden duty to emulate Him as close as possible. And we’ll end with an applicable quote by Albert Schweitzer:  ‘We must believe in the conquest of the spirit of the world by the spirit of God. But the miracle must happen in us, before it can happen in the world.’ Nuff said mih people. Much LOVE!…to walk like Jesus…we must first think like Jesus…
 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 22 July 2009 Romans 14:17‏

22 Jul 2009 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

Romans 14:17     For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.
 
Oh Friends, it’s time for the ‘Morning Neighbour, Morning’ chant, on what seems like another cloudy, rainy day. But our omnipotent, omniscient God is still in control, so that means everything’s A okay! And with that assurance we can continue being obedient to Him, as well as giving Him thanks and praise for all the good things He’s done, is doing and will do for us. All together now: ‘We bless and praise your Holy Name oh Lord God, Creator of heaven and earth and all therein! And we give abundant thanks for your kind mercies, which are new everyday! Amen!’ Yes my people, let’s always remember to give praise, thanks and gratitude where it’s due, for such is the behaviour and attitude of the righteous, which we, as true believers, all seek to be. Hn, hn! Now how did I get off on this tangent eh? I guess the Spirit thought we needed some reminding on the subject. And anyway, talking about giving thanks and praise to our Heavenly Father is always an important and essential topic in the Christian’s life. But as you can see from the Bit, today we’ll continue our conversation on the kingdom of God. Yesterday we saw what Jesus said; that it’s within and all around us. Today we’ll check out Bruh Paul’s take on the subject. Here he’s talking to the Roman church; ‘For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.’ Again we see, that God’s kingdom is already at hand, and according to Bruh Paul, it doesn’t consist of food and drink, but the way in which we live our everyday lives, in trust and cooperation with the Holy Spirit that dwells in us. So God’s kingdom is in and around us, and we’ll experience it by the level of righteousness, peace and joy that abounds in our daily living. Bruh Paul compares the kingdom of God to food and drink because he’s talking to the Roman church about minor contentions in their midst, like what was clean or unclean to eat, and he advises them thus: ‘Let us not therefore judge one another anymore: but judge this rather, that no man put a stumbling block or an occasion to fall in his brother’s way.’ (Rom 14:13) And my people, that’s something we all are guilty of; putting stumbling blocks in our brother’s way, though many times it’s unintentional, and we don’t even realize we’re doing it. As the food example Bruh Paul uses, where he considers nothing unclean of itself, since God made all things, and none bad, but if someone considers it unclean, then to him it is such. Now, if that’s the main focus of our disagreement, then the stronger, the more mature in faith, should not escalate the argument and turn something minor into a major dispute. ‘But if thy brother be grieved with thy meat, now walkest thou not charitably. Destroy not him with thy meat, for whom Christ died.’ (Rom.14:15) In other words, the stronger believer should forego his freedom to argue the minor point, in favour of preserving peace in the church, cause God will be the ultimate judge of things amoral, those matters of conscience where there’s no clear biblical teaching. ‘For the kingdom of God is not meat or drink.’ That’s so true my Friends, and Bruh Paul also reminds the Corinthians of it. ‘But meat commendeth us not to God: for neither, if we eat, are we the better; neither, if we eat not, are we the worse. But take heed lest by any means this liberty of yours become a stumbling block to them that are weak. For if any man see thee which hast knowledge sit at meat in the idol’s temple, shall not the conscience of him which is weak be emboldened to eat those things which are offered to idols:’ (1 Cor.8:8-10) Yes my brethren, the strong, mature believer has to be careful the weak ones don’t see them doing things that are liable to make them go astray from the Word, and disrupt the kingdom of God, which ‘is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.’ Bruh Paul’s putting a lot of responsibility on the strong believer, but that’s the only way the faith can grow; by the weak seeing the strong live a godly, peaceful, joyous and righteous life, which can only be done on a spiritual basis, in tandem with the Holy Spirit. ‘For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.’ (Rom.8:6) Yea Friends, that’s what the kingdom of God is all about; living in peace and righteousness with each other, obeying God’s Word, helping each other bear their burdens, not fussing and fighting over minor matters, considering others before ourselves, speaking kind, uplifting words, not being greedy, jealous and judgemental, not putting stumbling blocks in each other’s paths. In other words, just living the way Jesus lived, and the way He wants us to live; in harmony with each other and His Holy Spirit that dwells with us. For therein is the kingdom of God my people; a life of peace, joy and righteousness, existing both in us and around us. Much LOVE!…God’s kingdom only requires…LOVING Him…and LIVING in true Faith…

Today’s Scrip-Bit 21 July 2009 Luke 17:20-21‏

21 Jul 2009 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

Luke 17:20-21     The kingdom of God cometh not with observation: Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you.
 
Well a pleasant Tuesday morning to all you wonderful Friends and neighbours out there in Scrip-Bit land! Ah mih people, it almost happened; the ole fella almost won two races straight, but Rebel got beaten by a head-bob at the wire. It was disappointing…no, heartbreaking, as a friend at the track pointed out. It wasn’t disappointing because Rebel ran an excellent race, tried his heart out. I would have felt better though if he’d been beaten by a wider margin. Anyway, for whatever reason, the Lord decided he wouldn’t shower that much blessings on me today. Hn! It sure would have been nice to win, since the monetary difference between first and second place is substantial. But as usual, in keeping with the teaching, I said Lord, your will be done, not mine; grinned and bore it stalwartly. And yuh know, I just LOVE the way Jesus used words: He really was an excellent wordsmith. Just look at how He answered the hypocrite Pharisees, re their question of when the kingdom of God would come. They asked Jesus about the future, but He answered them in the present. ‘The kingdom of God cometh not with observation. Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! For behold, the kingdom of God is within you.’ Yes my Friends, we cannot sit back and observe the coming of God’s kingdom like a linear, unfolding event. Nobody’s going to say, ‘Look it here, or look it there,’ since the kingdom of God is already within you. It was already at hand when the Pharisees asked. It began with John the Baptist and Jesus himself, cause that’s all they talked about; it was their main theme. Then too, the coming of the Holy Spirit to dwell in believers is also a part of God’s kingdom. Think about the ideas the Spirit generates; it’s guidance and direction. Consider too our repentance and God’s forgiveness, His mercy and LOVING kindness. That’s all part of God’s kingdom because He’s working in our lives right now, controlling them when we surrender to Him. In fact Friends, God’s kingdom is not only in us, but also all around us. If we believe that He’s the Creator and Controller of the universe, and has a say in all that happens therein, then whose kingdom is it, if not God’s? So if the Pharisees had chosen to really listen to John the Baptist and Jesus and observe what was happening around them, they too would have recognized that the kingdom had already begun. But they were too tied up in their self-importance and knowledge of the old law to listen to anyone else, especially on something new. Just like Israel expected the Messiah to come and physically save them from the Roman oppression, I guess the Pharisees also expected to see balloons, streamers and such, heralding God’s kingdom. But remember Friends, our God doesn’t always do what we expect. When we expect high drama and suspense, He’s low keyed, and vice versa. So the Messiah didn’t come the first time with the big bang and all the hullabaloo that was expected, but as a lowly, humble preacher, teacher and servant; healing the sick and lame, while living His philosophy of humility and service. But the next time mih breddren; the next time will be the big one! Then the fireworks will be on display! And Jesus took the opportunity the Pharisees’ question provided to warn the disciples about what was to come. ‘The days will come when ye shall desire to see one of the days of the Son of man, and ye shall not see it.’ (Luke 17:23) As believers, we all long for the second coming of Christ, but we’ll probably never live to see it. Then He warned them later on about the anti-Christ and false teachers. ‘Take heed that ye be not deceived: for many shall come in my name, saying I am Christ; and the time draweth near: go ye not therefore after them. But when ye shall hear of wars and commotions, be not terrified: for these things must first come to pass; but the end is not by and by.’ (Luke 21:8-9) ‘And they shall say to you, See here; or see there: go not after them, nor follow them.’ (Luke 17:23) Oh my people, we need to take serious notice of all those words because the great expansion of the world and the Word, from Jesus’ time to now, has tremendously increased the opportunity for false teachers and preachers to arise. And we see them all around us, just preying on innocent people. It’s therefore very important that we are able to discern and stay away from the wolves in sheep’s clothing that now exist in every corner of the globe. And as Jesus said, we don’t need to worry about the increasing wars, violence and disasters, for the second coming isn’t imminent, and all those thing must happen before it occurs. Then He tells them how the second coming will be: ‘For as the lightning, that lighteneth out of one part under the heaven, shineth unto the other part under heaven: so shall also the Son of man be in his day.’ (Luke 17:24)  So Friends, if we’re still alive, we won’t have to worry about seeing or discerning His next entrance, cause it will be spectacular. Matthew puts in plainer English. ‘For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.’ (Mat.24:27) Now we’ve cleared up two things here; the kingdom of God is already at hand, underway, in existence, whichever you choose to use, and that when Jesus comes again it will be a most bright and wonderful day. The world will be illuminated like lightning with His majestic presence. Till then, let’s do what we’re here to do nuh: LOVE our God, and LIVE our Faith! That’s all Jesus asks of us. Much LOVE!…the first coming was down to earth…the second will be heavenly…. 
 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 20 July 2009 Jeremiah 2:4-5‏

20 Jul 2009 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

Jeremiah 2:4-5     Hear ye the word of the Lord, O house of Jacob, and all the families of the house of Israel: Thus saith the Lord, What iniquity have your fathers found in me, that they are gone far from me, and have walked after vanity, and are become vain?
 
Oh my Friends, that’s a very good question, to which I don’t have an answer, and apparently neither did the Lord when He put those words in Jeremiah’s mouth. He must have been rather puzzled and mystified by Israel’s sudden change of heart. He surely never expected such ingratitude after all He’d done for them; bringing them out of bondage in Egypt, guiding them safely through the wilderness, providing food and water until they came to the Promised Land, a land of milk and honey, reaping benefits for which they had not laboured. None of us in His position would expect it either and would certainly want to know why. Look at how aggrieved we feel when people we help turn against us or are ungrateful. Can you imagine the Lord’s quandary then? And sadly my people, it’s the same question He’s asking of us today: What injustice has He done that we all have gone astray, forsaken Him, and foolishly turned to following pagan idols? Back then the Israelites actually made physical idols of stone, wood and metal like the pagans and worshipped them. Today though, our idols are more mental than physical, we are driven by things like wealth and power, pomp and pride, celebrity and social status. Our lust for these things manifest themselves in outward ostentation; fancy, expensive clothes and jewellery, more and bigger houses, cars, yachts, businesses etc. Keeping up to the Jones’ has become our reason to live, for if we don’t, we’re considered of no account. It’s now all about who can have the biggest and the best. But remember Friends, we pointed out yesterday that that attitude is suicidal, cause it leads us to do unwise things. And a perfect example of that is the economic mess our world’s now in. It all stemmed from the powerful lust to have more, to attain the devil’s playthings, and was fuelled by greed, lies and consumption above and beyond our means, until the status quo was no longer sustainable. But as we also noted yesterday, the wicked will always undergo destruction, whether it’s now or later, because the Lord has decreed it. Now since the foundation of our economic success was built on a bed of sinking sand, held aloft and afloat only by mirrors and sleight of hand, it was only a matter of time before it became top heavy and crumbled, both literally and figuratively. As Jeremiah says later on: ‘Forasmuch as among all the wise men of the nations, and in all their kingdoms, there is none like thee. But they are altogether brutish and foolish: the stock is a doctrine of vanities.’ (Jer.10:7-8) Yes Friends, those who consider themselves wise in their own conceit are really dullards, and the idols they worship and adore are based on worthless teachings. I don’t know why the human animal always thinks he’s different and won’t suffer the same fate by doing the same nonsense that others did before and perished. Jeremiah posed the question to Israel. Some time later, Micah did the same: ‘O my people, what have I done unto thee? and wherein have I wearied thee? testify against me.’ (Mic.6:3) And Friends, though I’m no prophet, I’m asking the same question: Why have we turned from God to mammon? Our society was once fairly obedient to the Most High God Jehovah, considering Him enough to put His Word in our schools and public places. But over the last few years we’ve been more concerned with removing Him from our lives rather than as a source of upliftment and strength. Is it because we’ve let those of other beliefs enter our society and water down our God? That’s one of the reasons the Lord warned the Israelites about intermarriage and dwelling with strangers. He knew that pagan artefacts and culture would eventually filter into or infiltrate the godliness of His people. (2 Kings 17:15-17) Please remember, as Jonah did in the whale’s stomach: ‘They that observe lying vanities, forsake their own mercy.’ (Jon.2:8) Yes my people, when we focus on worthless idols, we are doing ourselves a grave injustice, for by so doing, we cut ourselves off from the LOVING kindness of our merciful, forgiving God. But Friends, our weak stand against the tearing down of our faith is not the sole reason for our current demise. Added to that was our prosperity and success which tends to breed complacency, laziness and indolence. It’s been experienced by all the great societies. Another instance where we didn’t learn from the mistakes of others. We figured we’d arrived at the pinnacle, so there was no more reason to work hard and be productive. But that’s exactly when we need to be up and about, not resting on our laurels, since a society, or a person only remains at the top of their game by doing the same things, expending the same energy that originally brought them success. You can’t stay at the top if you slack off or get into bad, unproductive habits like we did. But there’s good news Friends; it’s not too late to turn it around and get back into God’s good graces. Jonah provides an excellent example. ‘When my soul fainted within me, I remembered the Lord: and my prayer came unto thee, unto thine holy temple…But I will sacrifice unto thee with the voice of thanksgiving; I will pay that I have vowed. Salvation is of the Lord.’ (Jon.2:7,9) My people, when Jonah finally acknowledged the Lord, the whale vomited him out on dry land. So too, if we rededicate ourselves to the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, He will be merciful and turn our sorrows into joy. Friends, let’s seriously consider doing that nuh. We have nothing to lose and lots to gain. So let’s ardently LOVE our God, and LIVE our Faith. Many blessings will follow. Much LOVE!…in his heart…the fool said…I am wise…
 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 19 July 2009 Psalm 73:28‏

19 Jul 2009 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

Psalm 73:28     But it is good for me to draw near to God: I have put my trust in the Lord God, that I may declare all thy works.
 
Oh my fine Friends in J.A. I empathize with you on the sweltering thirty something degrees heat you’ve been recently experiencing, while up here in the north country we’re barely breaking a sweat, with the temperature mainly in the balmy low twenties. Now yuh see, if oonoo would only draw closer to God, that wouldn’t happen. (smile) Anyway, it’s imperative that the whole world draws closer to God, for as the Psalmist, Asaph declares; ‘For, lo, they that are far from thee shall perish: thou hast destroyed all them that go a whoring from thee.’ (Ps.73: 27) That’s an indisputable fact my people! We’ve seen it happen throughout history and it’s still happening today. We just refuse to learn that eventually destruction will be wrought on all the followers of Beelzebub. The Psalm is about Asaph not comprehending the mystery of prosperous wickedness. ‘For I was envious at the foolish, when I saw the prosperity of the wicked…They are not in trouble as other men; neither are they plagued like other men. Therefore pride compasseth them about as a chain; violence covereth them like a garment. Their eyes stand out with fatness: they have more than heart could wish. They are corrupt, and speak wickedly concerning oppression: they speak loftily. They set their mouth against the heavens, and their tongue walketh through the earth.’ (vs.3,5-9) Yes Friends, it does seem that the wicked prosper while the righteous suffer. But believe me, that’s a fool’s paradise. ‘And they say, How doth God know? And is there knowledge in the Most High? Behold, these are the ungodly who prosper in the world; they increase in riches.’ (vs.11-12) But that’s only for a while my Friends, even though it may seem a lifetime. The wicked will eventually get their comeuppance, of this we can be sure, cause the Lord promised it, and we know He doesn’t make idle promises. But this prosperity of the wicked was troubling and perplexing poor Asaph, just like it still does many of us today. ‘For all the day long have I been plagued, and chastened every morning…when I thought to know this, it was too painful for me.’ (vs.14,16) He had trouble understanding how the wicked could be so prosperous. ‘Until I went into the sanctuary of God; then understood I their end.’ (vs.17) Oh my people, it’s not until Asaph went into the house of God that he understood the destruction that would eventually befall the wicked. In like manner we need to stay tuned to God, so we can understand and not be taken in by the false promises of Lucifer and his evil cronies, re the lust for things material and fleshly. Basically it’s not wrong to acquire material possessions, but when the desire to possess them is so strong that it leads us to do evil, to be disobedient to God’s will to get them, then we’re treading on troubled ground. As many of us are, Asaph was drawn to the prosperity, but once he got in tune with God, he realized his mistake. ‘So foolish was I, and ignorant: I was a beast before thee.’ (vs.22) We are no different Friends, but let’s sincerely hope, like Asaph we too can say: ‘Nevertheless I am continually with thee: thou hast holden me by my right hand. Thou shalt guide me with thy counsel, and afterward receive me to glory.’ (vs.23-24) Yes people it’s of the utmost importance that we establish parameters in our lives; boundaries outside of which we don’t venture. And we can only do that by staying focused on the Lord. Each of us needs to have a personal rapport with God, to test that relationship, to get direction for our lives, so we can handle anomalies like the prosperity with which the wicked seem to be favoured. In that respect, we need to say like the Psalmist: ‘Whom have I in heaven but thee? And there is none upon earth that I desire beside thee. My flesh and my heart faileth, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion for ever.’ (vs.25-26) Oh Friends, that’s a mantra that should be solidly embedded in the hearts, minds and souls of all believers! In short; God is all we need! However, the only way to manage that properly is by doing as Asaph said: ‘But it is good for me to draw near to God:’ Bruh Paul advocated the same thing: ‘Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water.’ (Heb.10:22) James said it too, but more forcefully: ‘Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double-minded.’ (James 4:8) Then like Asaph, let us all say: ‘I have put my trust in the Lord God, that I may declare all thy works.’ Bruh David echoes that sentiment in Psalm 116 when He offers praise for deliverance from death. ‘I believed, therefore I have spoken.’ (Ps.116:10) That means we need to declare God’s words and works publicly my Friends, not behind closed doors or quietly, but from the mountain tops and wherever our voices will carry and be heard. And Bruh Paul, knowing his scripture, said; ‘We having the same spirit of faith, according as it is written, I believed, and therefore have I spoken; we also believe and therefore speak.’ (2 Cor.4:13) He quotes Bruh David, then adds his two cents worth. My people, may we also be able to add our penny’s worth and truthfully say the same: I believe, therefore I will speak. It’s essential that we don’t keep our wonderful belief to ourselves but declare our glorious faith in Jesus worldwide. Till next time then, God willing, let’s LOVE our God, and LIVE our Faith! It’s what we’re called on to do. Much LOVE!…all that glitters isn’t gold…so be careful for what you sell your soul…
 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 18 July 2009 1 John 3:1‏

18 Jul 2009 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

1 John 3:1     Behold, what manner of LOVE the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: (and we are) therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not.
 
Oh my beloved Friends, greater words were never spoken on man’s behalf by his fellow man! ‘Behold, what manner of LOVE the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: (and we are)’ Oh people, there are no words to aptly describe the kind of LOVE that the Lord bore for us, and still bears. Words like great, magnificent, real, tender, fatherly, heart-warming, unconditional, strong, enduring, positive, everlasting, eternal, all add their own particular brush stroke to the texture and colour of the palette, but none by itself really does it justice. For what single word can adequately capture this heroic gesture, this gesture of immeasurable proportions? ‘Herein is LOVE, not that we LOVED God, but that He LOVED us, and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.’ (1 John 4:10) Yes my Friends, we can never find one suitable word to describe the extent of the Father’s LOVE for us. It’s obvious we didn’t care that much for Him, cause we dwelt, were thoroughly enmeshed in sin and disobedience to His Holy Word. But He knew that death, damnation and eternal darkness were our rewards if we remained in that state of separation from Him, and His heart ached so much for us, His greatest creation, that He devised a most ingenious plan to allow us to return to His fold. And a most heart-wrenching plan it was since it meant sacrificing His innocent only Son for us inveterate sinners. But He was caught between a rock and a hard place. As the champion of truth, justice and righteousness, He just couldn’t pardon us, write off our sins without some kind of payment. Something or somebody sinless had to pay the debt we owed. He was tired of the blood sacrifices of animals. As Samuel told Saul; to obey is better than to sacrifice. The Lord desires obedience, not sacrifices. But sadly, besides God, only His Son, Jesus was innocent and unblemished. Now can you imagine my people, how the Most High God Jehovah must have agonized over that situation? Just like we would agonize over sending our innocent only child off to war or some such negative venture, knowing there was a great likelihood they would not return alive. And here, His Son’s death would have to be assured for that was the only way a blanket payment could be made for us all. But He cared for us so much, desiring not to lose even one of His creations to the fallen angel Lucifer, that he banned His belly and His jaw and just did it. And all God’s people said; Wow! Hallelujah! Praise His Most Holy Name! Oh mih breddren, I ask us to sit for a moment and contemplate the immensity, the magnitude of that gesture. Now let’s ask ourselves, how many of us would have done that for a bunch of greedy, ungrateful sinners? The truth be known, very very few, if any of us, would have made that superhuman sacrifice. On top of that, He then adopted us; ‘we should be called the sons of God; (and we are)’ According to the scholars, the words in parenthesis should be added there as they are found in many ancient manuscripts. And it does make sense, for we are the sons of God. But Friends, can we really comprehend the magnitude of God’s LOVE for us? I doubt it, since His ways and thoughts are so much higher than ours. So after sacrificing His innocent Son for us, He then adopts us, makes us His children. Oh Friends, as believers we become children of God by virtue of being born again unto His son, unto His cleansing Spirit. ‘But as many as received him, to them gave he the power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name. Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.’ (John 1:12-13) And when John adds; ‘therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not,’ He’s just reiterating what Jesus stressed to His disciples; the problems, persecution and hard times His followers would face, simply because of Him. ‘If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you…But all these things will they do unto you for my name’s sake, because they know not him that sent me…He that hateth me hateth my Father also.’ (John 15:18,21,23) Yes Friends, it’s certainly…and I have to laugh at the words that come to mind because they bear negative connotations, but they do seem to best describe the intensity of the relationship we have with our God. It’s a hell of a relationship! And it truly is. He LOVED us enough to sacrifice His innocent Son on our behalf; then He adopts us. Meanwhile we believe on His Son’s Name and are cleansed of our sins, but we’re still disobedient. He punishes us; we repent. He forgives us; we follow His Word and His will. He rewards us, looks after us and keeps us safe from harm and in the end takes us to live with Him, His Son and the Holy Spirit till eternity. Oh Friends, it’s at once simple but complicated; just like all LOVE stories are. But this is by far the biggest and most important of them all; the Father’s LOVE for His sinful, earthly children. Oh my people, our God made a great sacrifice on our behalf, so please don’t allow it to go to waste nuh. Remember, it’s in our best interest. If we don’t accept the LOVE He’s graciously bestowed on us, then we’ll be experiencing death, damnation and eternal darkness with that fool Lucifer. And that’s not wisdom by any stretch of the imagination! So I plead with us, don’t let this be an unrequited LOVE affair! We’ve all experienced it and know it’s by far the worst pain in the world; a pain that racks our very hearts and souls and drives us crazy. And we certainly don’t want to do that to our Heavenly Father after all He’s done, all the sacrifices He’s made on our behalf. So instead, let’s just LOVE our God, and LIVE our Faith! That’s the answer to all our problems. Much LOVE!…Praise Him, Praise Him… Glory Hallelujah…He is LOVE…He is LOVE…
 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 17 July 2009 Proverbs 21:2‏

17 Jul 2009 1 Comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

Proverbs 21:2     Every way of a man is right in his own eyes: but the Lord pondereth the hearts.
 
Oh my blessed Friends, it’s shaping up to be another beautiful day in paradise, so let’s give some thanks and praise that we’re alive to behold it nuh. Some of us are alive though, only in the sense that our hearts are beating, pumping blood through our bodies, but the spirits of too many of us are dead. We just drift along from one day to the next, unconcerned about anybody but ourselves, unconcerned with the poverty, suffering, violence and oppression that’s so widespread on our planet. And just because we can’t, or think we can’t do anything to improve the situation, we just muddle along in life, going nowhere, doing nothing worthwhile. But this is a very selfish, unchristian attitude my people. Jesus said that we should care and be concerned with the sorrowful plight of others even if we can’t do anything personally to alleviate it. But Friends I’m here to remind us that there’s one thing we can always do; that’s pray for them. Remember, the Lord ‘heareth the prayer of the righteous.(Prov.15:29)This brings us to the first part of the Bit: ‘Every way of a man is right in his own eyes.’ And isn’t that the gospel truth mih breddren? Each of us believes that whatever we say or do is always right. We might be proven wrong later, but initially we always tend to think we’re right. And sadly, it doesn’t change our attitude when we discover we’re mistaken or misguided. The next time, we again insist that what we’re doing is right. Why is that eh? Why do we never think that we’re wrong? I guess it has to do with basic pride, ego, and our social system, where so much emphasis is placed on self-confidence and being right, that many of us are deathly afraid to be wrong or make a mistake. That can either make us a laughingstock or trigger some catastrophe, if we’re persons of power. In our busy, gung ho society, there’s no room for error. Those who make minor errors are often discarded by the wayside with no consideration whatsoever. But Friends, the law of averages dictates that no man can be right every time, although we believe that our way is the right one. But then again, why would we choose to hold a particular idea, belief or opinion knowing that it’s wrong eh? That’s a good question, one that I can’t answer. But many of us do it. In fact all of us do it, especially when it comes to being obedient to God. Though we know deep down that certain things are wrong, yet we conveniently find ways to convince ourselves that they are right. We can always find some means to justify our thoughts words and actions. Just look at the behaviour of our politicians, from top to bottom. It’s now become the norm, if not to lie outright, but certainly to prevaricate and spin the truth to the constituents, to make things look better than they really are, so they can be re-elected. Politicians nowadays aren’t as concerned with the welfare of the people they’re supposed to represent, as with personal re-election. From the moment they enter office, that’s their main concern. And being concerned with your own welfare and livelihood might seem right, but it isn’t, if you’re not meeting the needs of those who elected you. Sol said it earlier when he began talking about moral, ethical and spiritual precepts. ‘All the ways of a man are clean in his own eyes; but the Lord weigheth the spirits.’ (Prov.16:2) Yes my people, we can hide our true motives from the world, sometimes even from ourselves, but we can’t hide them from God because He’s not taken in by our words or outward actions. He knows better than that. Our fellow man can only judge us by what we say and do cause they can’t see what’s really in our hearts, but our God can, and that’s where He looks to find our real motives and beliefs. As the second half of the Bit says: ‘but the Lord pondereth the hearts.’ That’s another bit of gospel mih people! That’s why they say you can fool man, but not God, for He looks into the innermost depths of our hearts, souls and spirit to discern the real truth that’s hidden there. And if what we show, say or do on the outside doesn’t match what’s on the inside, then we’ll just end up in his bad books. Hear the wonderful advice Bruh David gave his son, Sol, when he encouraged him to build the Lord’s temple. ‘And then Solomon my son, know thou the God of thy father, and serve him with a perfect heart and with a willing mind: for the Lord searcheth all hearts, and understandeth all the imaginations of the thoughts: if thou seek him, he will be found of thee; but if thou forsake him, he will cast thee off for ever.’ (1 Chron 28:9) Yes my Friends, that’s wonderful advice we can, or rather should all heed personally, and also teach to our children. Early on, Sol heeded Bruh David’s advice, as we hear when he dedicated the temple. ‘Then hear thou from heaven thy dwelling place, and forgive, and render unto every man according to all his ways, whose heart thou knowest; (for thou only knowest the hearts of the children of men.’ (2 Chron.6:30) But sadly, when Sol got old, he apparently forgot all that stuff because he forsook the Lord and turned to the pagan deities of his many wives. Oh, woe-unto-man! (smile) So even the great, wise Sol eventually didn’t practice what he preached. So my Friends, let’s try to be different nuh. Let’s try to have good hearts, and let good words, deeds and actions flow from them. We won’t, or can’t always be right, but if our motives are decent, the Lord, who sees and knows all, will certainly forgive us if we err. So don’t let the fear of making mistakes prevent us from getting into action on God’s behalf. Oh, by the way, last night the Spirit guided me to a new mantra for the Bit: ‘LOVE thy God, and LIVE thy Faith!’ Friends, as believers, that’s all we need to do in this life! Till next time then, God willing; let’s LOVE our God, and LIVE our Faith! Much LOVE!…you can run…but you can’t hide…from God…
 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 16 July 2009 Ecclesiastes 5:18‏

16 Jul 2009 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

Ecclesiastes 5:18     Behold that which I have seen: it is good and comely for one to eat and to drink, and to enjoy the good of all his labour that he taketh under the sun all the days of his life, which God giveth him: for it is his portion.
 
Mornin’ mih Neighbs! How all yuh doing eh? I certainly hope these few words of mine, (smile) reach oonoo in good physical health, a peaceful frame of mind, and a great joy in your hearts and souls because of your overwhelming LOVE for Almighty God, which translates into health, wealth and prosperity. Hn! Does that make sense? But you all know what I mean, and it does serve as a good jumping off point for Today’s Bit. Now, per the scholars, there is disagreement over the authorship of Ecclesiastes; whether it was Solomon or some unknown person. Most people tend to lean towards Sol’s authorship, as I do, for who else was wise, wealthy and had free time enough to conduct such extensive research and come up with the truisms that fill the Book. As far as I know, only Sol had all the parts to do it. But regardless of who wrote it, it’s still a bountiful well of wisdom pertaining to man’s life and purpose on this earth. First, we are reminded that we came forth naked and will return the same way, taking nothing of our labour with us. (vs.15) That is certainly a rough circumstance to endure, for ‘what profit hath he that hath laboured for the wind?’ (vs.16) None really my Friends. Working one’s whole life and not being able to take any of your material possessions or accomplishments with you is definitely a bummer. Makes you want to ask why do it then? Especially when one suffers many setbacks, sorrows and sickness in compiling the fruit of one’s labour. (vs.17) The first thing to accept and write deep in our consciousness my people, is that wealth is a very poor foundation on which to build our lives as it is easily lost, but requires much hard work to accumulate. The second principle to learn is that all our human efforts are vanity, in vain, unless vetted, blessed by God. Sol declares this in Psalm 127. ‘Except the Lord build the house, they labour in vain that build it: except the Lord keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain. It is vain for you to rise up early, to sit up late, to eat the bread of sorrows: for so he giveth his beloved sleep.’ (Ps.127:1-2) So my people, unless the Lord is involved in our activities, we basically labour in vain. Then what’s the purpose of labouring, if without God you fail, and with God, you can’t take anything with you? Understand Friends, when Jesus’ kingdom is proclaimed, we won’t need any of the stuff we now labour for. All our needs will be amply met then, and whatever we work for now, with God’s blessing, is for us to enjoy in this life. And enjoy doesn’t mean to live a wastrel’s life of excess and indiscipline, but to savour it like good food or fine wine, and to use it wisely in furthering the Word and work of Christ. Remember, we’re only stewards, safe-keepers of our earthly belongings. Oh Friends, Sol, in his heyday, decided to undertake some research into the purpose of life and ventured into a world filled with pleasure. But he was ultimately disappointed. ‘Then I looked on all the works that my hands had wrought, and on the labour that I had laboured to do: and behold all was vanity and vexation of spirit, and there was no profit under the sun.’ (Eccl. 2:11) Yes my people, seeking fulfillment through pleasure is futile and like grasping at the wind. But sadly, many of us, thousands of years later, still try to find our raison d’être in pleasure. And Sol’s conclusion? ‘Behold that which I have seen: it is good and comely for one to eat and drink, and to enjoy the good of all his labour that he taketh under the sun all the days of his life which God giveth him.’ Hallelujah! That’s one conclusion; it’s fitting for one to enjoy the benefits of one’s labour on this earth. And Bruh Paul concurs with Sol’s reasoning. ‘Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not high-minded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy.’ (1 Tim.6:17) Then Sol ends; ‘for it is his portion.’ Yes my brethren, the profit of our labour is our heritage, our entitlement. As the Teacher pointed out earlier: ‘There is nothing better for a man, than that he should eat and drink, and that he should make his soul enjoy good in his labour. This also I saw, that it was from the hand of God.’ (Eccl.2:24) And there’s the crux of the matter my people: It’s all from the hand of God. Unless we work and enjoy our life as a gift of God, for the purpose of serving and glorifying Him, our lives will be miserable, futile and aimless. It is the strong foundation of God in our lives that makes whatever we accomplish or accumulate worthwhile. Otherwise it’s all in vain. And the moral of the story? Enjoyment is a gift of God, and we must use our short earthly life spans as motivation to live it to the fullest. That’s God’s desire for us. As Jesus said: ‘I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.’ (John 10:10) Yes Friends, our earthly purpose is to work, enjoy and share whatever we have, living to spread God’s Word and do His will, because all that we have or accomplish, comes as a direct blessing from Him. Let’s take this message to heart nuh, and stop complaining about what we don’t have, instead enjoy what we do have, and share it with the less fortunate, while constantly giving thanks and praise to the Most High God Jehovah, for His wonderful mercy, kindness and forgiveness to the sinful children of men. I pray this in Jesus’ name. Amen! Much LOVE mih people!…for all we are or have…depends entirely on Him…

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